96 LOCAL TAXATION 



local government. On 21st February, therefore. Mr. R. PL 

 Paget (afterwards Sir Richard Paget, Bart.) moved a resolu- 

 tion urging that the injustice of the present incidence of local 

 taxation should, without further delay, be remedied by an 

 adequate increase of contribution from general taxation. 

 The Government defeated this motion by 110 to 105 votes 

 by moving " the previous question." Only three days later 

 Colonel Harcourt again raised the question of relieving the 

 ratepayers of the cost of maintaining main roads. The 

 close division on the 21st now bore fruit, for Mr. Gladstone 

 made an urgent appeal for the motion not to be submitted, 

 and undertook that, whatever fate attended the general 

 propositions, he still hoped to make, a distinct proposal for 

 relief at least in the matter of main roads would be pressed 

 during the Session. In a debate on the Budget the Prime 

 Minister announced the reduction of the Government's pro- 

 gramme, and stated that while he was willing under the circum- 

 stances to ask Parliament to vote 250,000 in relief of the 

 charges entailed in maintaining main roads in England, 

 Wales, and Scotland, he proposed to recoup the Treasury 

 for the sum thus contributed by adding 50 per cent, to the 

 existing duties on four-wheeled, and 40 per cent, to those on 

 two -wheeled carriages. The Committee in a report issued 

 in May pointed out that by this arrangement heavy trade 

 vehicles (which caused the greatest wear of the roads) would 

 continue to enjoy the exemption conferred on them by the 

 abolition of turnpike tolls. The general dissatisfaction felt 

 with the proposed scheme of relief by means of a new carriage 

 tax led to the proposal being given up altogether, and a direct 

 subvention from the Treasury was conceded in the shape of an 

 annual grant of 250,000 for main roads. 



Among a number of Bills proposing to add to the ratevS 

 ten required the special attention of the Committee. Seven 

 of these were successfully resisted and were withdrawn : 

 one (the Boilers' Explosion Bill) was amended, to prevent the 

 cost of enquiries falling on the rates, before it was passed : 

 two others were approved, but failed to make progress. 

 These two were the School Boards Bill, which sought to confine 



